Method of making slip-cover opening devices



Nov. 5, 1940. w. J. WARDELL 3 METHOD OF MAKING SLIP-COVER OPENING DEVICES Filed July 1, 1938 VENTOR. (401% Ala-(e4? ATTORNEY5 Patented Nov.5, 1940 PATENT OFFICE METHOD -OF MAKING SLIP-COVER OPEN- ING DEVICESWilliam J. Wardell, Mount Vernon, N. Y., assignor to American CanCompany, New York, N. Y.,

a corporation of New Jersey Application July 1, 1938, Serial No. 217,015

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to lever opening containers of theslip-cover type and is embodied in its preferred form in a shoe polishbox of the usual construction, the invention having particular referenceto a method of producing a special form of opening device for suchcontainers.

Lever opening devices have been utilized for opening shoe polish boxesin which the opening device has been pivotally connected to either thebody or the cover of such a box and by turning the opener on its pivotalconnection the body and cover are separated and the box is opened. Insome forms of pivotal connection for the opener a separate rivet hasbeen used on which the opener pivots, while in still other forms such,for example, as in the Hothersall Patent 1,154,020, a struck-up stud isformed as an integral part of the opening device. This stud is insertedinto an opening in a box wall to provide the pivot on which the openeroperates when shifted to separate the box parts.

In the Hothersall patent referred to the struck-up portion of the leveris located centrally of the lever body and in drawing this struck-upportion the metal surrounding and entering into the same is stretchedand pulled more or less severely as increased metal must be drawn into amore confined space to provide the desired pivotal part. This pulling of.the

metal, where steel or the usual tin plate is used, often results in acrystallization of the metal. Again the stretching at this confinedspace is so severe that often times the metal part entering into thestud is fractured.

Furthermore, the end of the stud must be later upset as the usualenlarged head is formed on I the inside of the box. This means that thesame stretched and at least partially crystallized metal area issubjected to a further bending and stretching. The result is that toogreat a percentage of cracks occur in themanufacture of suchabox.

The present invention is particularly concerned with the formation of astruck-up stud in a lever opening device and with the container havingsuch a device, the principal feature being that the opening device isnot stretched and its metal is not crystallized, in short, it is anopening 0 device which can be made satisfactorily from ordinary tinplate, this being the logical material from which polish boxes areproduced. An

important feature is the location of the struckup stud of the openingdevice so closely adjacent to an edge instead of being spaced inside ofits boundary that the required stock of metal is easily obtained.

An object of the invention, therefore, is the provision of a method ofproducing an opening device of the lever type for a shoe polish box orsimilar container, the device having a struck-up stud section so locatedrelative to its edge that the metal during manufacture flows withoutundue stretching and without crystallization, producing an openingdevice which is easily assembled for rocking movement with a part of thecontainer and which functions to separate the container parts in openingwhen moved on the stud section as a pivotal element.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the following description, which, takenin connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a shoe polish box and its openingdevice produced by the method steps embodying the present invention;

I Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with parts broken away illustratingthe opening device in position for separating the container parts;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the box illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a schematic sectional view showing fragments of suitableblanking dies operating on a strip of metal from which the openingdevice is formed, the view illustrating the first or partial blanking ofthe opening lever, one side edge of the lever being cut at that time;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating a further step in theformation of the opening lever,this view showing the struck-up studsection completely formed and illustrating the results of movement ofthe adjacent boundary edge to allow for the extra metal needed in thestud;

Fig. 6 is a face view of the completed opening lever after the remainderof its side edge has been struck out of the metal and also a sectionalview through suitable dies for performing the operation, the view alsoshowing a finger piece bent at an angle to the plane of the lever;

Fig. 7 is a composite cross section construction detail illustrating aportion of the container cover and showing the opening lever in positionrelative to the cover and prior to assembling therewith, the compositeview being drawn to a slightly larger scale than the scale of the otherfigures already described;

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view of the compietely formed opening deviceshowing it pivotally connected to the cover member, the latter being inclosing position on the container body, said view being taken on line8-8 of Fig. 3 but on a 5 somewhat larger scale; and

Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12 are fragmentary trans verse sectional views ofsuitable die mechanism utilized in carrying out the steps of the instantmethod invention, the views being taken substantially along the lines9-9, ||l-| in the respective Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the die members in Fig.12 being shown in relative position to the assembled container partsshown in Fig. 7.

As a preferred embodiment of'the invention the drawing illustrates oneform of container which may be used with the opening device produced bythe various method steps of the invention. The container includes a bodyor box ll of the conventional form used for the packaging of shoepolish, this box being provided with a fiattened peripheral bead I2(Figs. 1 and 8). The box has the usual upstanding friction seat wall 13for the reception of a cover member M of the slip-cover type, this covermember having a side wall section |5 which is adapted to frictionallyengage around the wall part l3 of the box. When in the positionillustrated in Figs. 1 and 8 the box is closed, the bottom edge of thecover wall I5 at such time resting upon the upper surface of theflattened bear I2.

An opening device or lever I6 is provided for separating the cover l4and body II to open the container and this opening device is pivotallyseated at H into an opening l8 cut through the cover wall |5. By turningthe opening device a cam part I9 thereof is caused to bear against thebead l2 of the body and to press body and cover apart.

A finger piece 2| is also formed as an integral 40 part of the openingdevice and is bent at substantially right angles to the major portion ofthe device. This provides for easy application of the necessary force toturn the opening device on its pivotal connection H to open the box.Fig. 2 45 illustrates such an open position.

To provide the pivotal connection for the opening device a struck-upstud 25 (Fig. 7) is formed and is located adjacent one edge of thedevice. This stud is preferably formed from an ear-like 50 projection ata side of the lever. The opening device is formed in steps which aregraphically illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 9, 10 and 11 and just thatpart of a forming operation is used at each step to prevent unduestretching of the metal as 55 will become evident as the descriptionproceeds.

A strip 3| of tin plate or other suitable sheet material is firstsubjected to a suitable die cutting operation (Fig. 4) and a scrolloutline 32 is out into the metal, this action forming an outer edge 60of one side of the opening device. The dotted line 33 in this figureindicates the remaining outline or other side of the device but this isnot cut or blanked until after an intermediate operation takes place.

Cutting of the outline 32 may be effected in any suitable manner, as forexample, by cooperating die and punch members 34, 35 (Fig. 9).

The partially severed strip 3| is next subjected to a forming operationin which the stud is 70 produced. As illustrated in Figs. 5 and 10 thedrawing or forming of the stud pulls in sufiicient material to producethe cylindrical structure of the stud illustrated in Fig. 'I. The excessmetal required is gathered in with a minimum of 75 stretching of theadjacent parts of the strip 3| ass-o es as this metal excess comes froma part adjacent the scroll edge 32.

This drawing of the metal into the stud 251s preferably done in a diemechanism which includes a stationary die 36 having a die recess 31 anda movable holding block'38. which carries a drawing punch 39. The blockfirst moves down against the strip 3| thereby holding it against the die36 and then the punch descends on the strip forcing the metal intothedie recess and thereby forming the stud 25.

A modified edge results after this drawing operation, its new outlinebeing indicated by the numeral 4| in Fig. 5. It will be observed thatthe changed contour of this new outline is smaller leaving an open spacebetween the boundry edges 32 and 4|. In other words, the required metalhas been obtained by crowding in a metal excess instead of stretching anadjacent part into a thinner piece as is usually done in a drawingaction.

The partially formed and severed strip 3| is then subjected to a thirdcombined forming and cutting operation at which time the opening deviceIB is entirely removed from the strip 3|. Its outline is now included inthe lines 32, 33, 4| best indicated in Fig. 6. During the same severingoperation the finger piece 2| is bent at right angles to the body of theopening device.

This severing of the opening device and bending of its finger piece 2|into place is preferably accomplished in a combined cutting and bendingdie mechanism illustrated in Fig. 11. The mech anism includes astationary die 42 having a cutting edge 43 and a bending edge 44adjacent a die recess 45. A movable punch 46 cooperates with the die insevering the opening device from the strip 3| while it sumultaneouslywipes the finger piece 2| against the bending edge 44 of the die andthereby brings it into proper position.

In assembling opening device and cover these are brought into therelative position illustrated in Fig. '7. The struck-up stud 25 isaligned with the opening I8 in the wall I 5 of the cover I4 and then thestud is pushed into the opening l8 as the assembling proceeds. The bodyof the opening device is brought against the outer wall of the cover.The assembled cover and opening device are then subjected to a suitabledie action which upsets or flattens the inner end of the struck-up studand produces an enlarged head 41' (Fig. 8). At the same time the flatbody part of the opening device is slightly curved to conform to thecylindrical wall of the cover as best shown in Fig. 3.

' Upsetting or heading of the stud may be effected in any suitablemanner, as by cooperating punch and anvil members 48, 49 (Fig. 12) whichmay be a part of a suitable die mechanism. The upsetting takes placewhen the punch and anvil members 48, 49 are moved closer together. Thiscompletes the method steps utilized in producing the finished openingdevice l6 and in movably attaching it to the box part.

By moving the opening device on its pivotal connection l1 the cam partI9 is caused toride on the flattened bead l2 of the box body and thisseparates the cover and body as illustrated in Fig. 2. The opening I8which is cut through the cover wall is closed by the opening device. Thecylindrical part of the stud 25 is a snug fit substantially filling theopening, the enlarged head 41 extends beyond the edges of the openingand covers it from the inside and the flat body part of the devicecovers the opening on the outside.

By reason of the forming of the pivotal parts in the operations justdescribed in connection with Figs. 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11 and 12 the metalentering into those parts which are altered in form is not undulystretched or crystallized there being ample free flowing metalundergoing a shape change. Accordingly no crack or opening is producedin the opening device and its manner of assembling insures it beingmovable withinits seat while it substantially closes the pivotal openingof the cover.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the steps of the processdescribed and their order of accomplishment without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its materialadvantages, the process hereinbefore described being merely a preferredembodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. The process of forming a sheet metal pryofi' opening device for acontainer having a slipcover member frictionally engaging the wall of abody member thereof, which consists in .slitting a side boundary line ofsaid opening device in a strip of metal, forming a struck-up studsection providing a pivot portion adjacent said slit boundary line whiledrawing inwardly the metal from the slit side with a minimum ofstretching and insuring free flowing of the metal while avoiding unduecrystallization, and then completing the severance of the opening devicefrom said strip by cutting across between'the ends of said slit portion.

2. The process of forming a sheet metal pryofi opening device for acontainer having a slipcover member frictionally engaging the wall of abody member thereof, which consists in drawing inwardly the metal of astrip adjacent and from a free edge thereof to form a rivet stud and toinsure free flowing of the metal while avoiding undue stretching andcrystallization during the formation of said stud, said rivet stud providing a pivot for the opening device, and then completely severing saidopening device from said strip by cutting across between spaced portionsof the free edge of said strip on opposite sides of the rivet stud.

3. The process of forming a metal pry-off opening device for a containerhaving a slipcover member frictionally engaging the body wall memberthereof preparatory to assembling said device on an apertured wall of asaid container member, which consists in first slitting a metal strip toform a side boundary partially defining said opening device, thenforming a struck-up stud section in the metal of the strip locatedadjacent said slit boundary by drawing inwardly the metal of the stripfrom the slit side thereof to insure free flowing of the metal whileavoiding undue stretching and crystallization thereof, said studproviding a pivot for the opening device, then completing the severanceof the opening device from the metal strip by cutting through theremainder of the metal definin said device including said stud betweenthe ends of the side boundary slit, whereby the opening device so formedmay be movably attached to said apertured wall of a said containermember by reshaping said stud after its insertion in said aperture.

WILLIAM J. WARDELL.

